Summary The pilot of an amateur-built Schreder HP18 glider (registrationC-GSTL, serial number18105) was prepared for a winch-assisted take-off from the grass adjacent to Runway02 at Stanley Airport, Nova Scotia. The wind was from the northwest at approximately four knots. At approximately 1445 Atlantic daylight time, the pilot gave the signal to commence the launch. The winch was activated and after a normal ground roll the glider lifted off the surface. The glider then pitched up to an estimated angle of 45degrees and climbed steeply to about 100feet above ground level. The aircraft then rolled to the right, pitched nose-down, and completed one or two rolls before it struck the runway in a left-wing-low, nose-down attitude. The pilot was fatally injured and the glider was destroyed. Ce rapport est galement disponible en franais. Other Factual Information The Schreder HP18 is a single-place, high-performance glider. In the HP18, the pilot is seated in a nearly horizontal (lying-down) position. A head rest props up the pilot's head, allowing for better forward visibility and support, and prevents the pilot from moving rearward during acceleration on a launch. The glider was owned and operated solely by the accident pilot. The pilot held a current glider pilot licence. He had completed 179winch-assisted launches in low- to medium- performance gliders, accumulating 63flight hours, before beginning to fly the high-performance HP18 in2003. During his first few flights in the HP18, it was noted that the pilot initiated a climb attitude that was steeper than necessary during take-off. The pilot was debriefed by his fellow glider pilots, and on subsequent flights the climb attitude was corrected. He had accumulated a total of 16winch-assisted launches and 21hours in the HP18 at the time of the accident. The accident pilot was a member of the Bluenose Soaring Club (BSC), and operated the glider within the organizational structure of the club. Activities on the field throughout day were proceeding normally and were uneventful up to the time of the accident. Wind conditions were very light from the northwest. The pilot had flown the same glider once that day, approximately 30minutes before accident flight. The first launch and flight were normal, but thermal activity was not found. The pilot landed after only a few minutes aloft and immediately began to prepare for the next launch. The winch speed used on the second launch was similar to that used on the first launch. No anomalies were found with the operation of the winch. Post-crash examinations did not reveal any deficiencies in the construction or maintenance of the glider. The flight controls were connected, and there was no indication of airframe structural failure prior to impact. The right and left shoulder harness straps of the five point safety harness were not attached to the latch mechanism, and examination revealed they were likely not attached at impact. Both lap belt airframe attachments were torn free of the fuselage structure.